A1 Graded Readers

Choose A1 (Beginner) graded readers with a built-in glossary and exercises. Available in multiple languages as ebook and paperback.

4.99 from 532 reviews
61 books

Every book is available as an e-book (EPUB and PDF) and as a paperback.

61 books found

What Makes a Good A1 Graded Reader?

At A1 (Beginner), learners are just starting to learn and can understand basic words and simple phrases. Our graded readers for this CEFR level use controlled vocabulary and clear sentence structures so you can follow the story comfortably while absorbing new words in context — the core principle of comprehensible input. Each book includes a glossary beside the text with translations, meaning you read without interruptions. Every chapter ends with vocabulary and comprehension exercises, and QR codes take you to online flashcards and matching games built on spaced repetition. A1 graded readers are available across multiple languages, in ebook and paperback formats.

What Our Readers Say

Our A1 graded readers consistently receive outstanding reviews — 532 people have rated them 4.99 out of 5 on average. Readers highlight the dictionary beside the text, end-of-chapter exercises, and online vocabulary games as features that set our books apart from any other graded reader series.

Our A1 graded readers collection includes titles such as הנסיך הקטן, Malý princ, Pikku prinssi, Mažasis princas, An Prionsa Beag, Маленький принц, Ke Keiki Aliʻi Liʻiliʻi, Mały Książę, Алиса в Стране чудес, Alice au pays des merveilles, Alicia en el país de las maravillas, Alice im Wunderland, Umhverfis jörðina á 80 dögum, 八十日間世界一周, De reis om de wereld in tachtig dagen, Jorden rundt i 80 dage, 環遊世界八十天, Jorden runt på 80 dagar, Вокруг света за 80 дней, Reise um die Erde in 80 Tagen, La vuelta al mundo en 80 días, Jorden rundt på 80 dager, A Volta ao Mundo em 80 Dias, Il giro del mondo in 80 giorni, Le Tour du monde en 80 jours, Orgueil et Préjugés, Orgullo y prejuicio, Mujercitas, Sherlock Holmes äventyr , Le avventure di Sherlock Holmes, Приключения Шерлока Холмса, As Aventuras de Sherlock Holmes, Les Aventures de Sherlock Holmes , Die Abenteuer des Sherlock Holmes , Ana de la Tejas Verdes, Las Aventuras de Sherlock Holmes, Animal Farm, Pride and Prejudice, Little Women, The Mysterious Island, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Around the World in Eighty Day, Nineteen Eighty-Four, Le Petit Prince, Anna dos Cabelos Ruivos, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Anne of Green Gables. Every book comes with a dictionary beside the text (in the margin in print, a pop-up in EPUB), chapter exercises, and interactive online games.

★★★★★
"First French ebook that actually felt like my level. The glossary at the end of each chapter is a lifesaver."
★★★★★
"Bought it on a whim and stuck with it. Exercises are straightforward even when I check the glossary a lot."
★★★★★
"Bought it on a whim and stuck with it. Exercises are straightforward even when I check the glossary a lot."
★★★★★
"Plain and clear, no clutter. Short exercises after each section - I actually remember a few phrases now."

Find the Right Level

Not sure which level to choose? Download a free sample from any book to check the difficulty, or take our free reading placement test to find your CEFR level.

Why Graded Readers Work

Research confirms that extensive reading is one of the most effective methods for building vocabulary, improving reading fluency, and developing overall language proficiency. Graded readers make this approach accessible by matching text difficulty to your CEFR level, so you stay in the optimal learning zone. Learn more about the science behind our approach on the Pentecost Method page.

About the writers and translators

Classic writers from this list come first; the Pentecost editors who adapted these readers follow in the next block.

  • Antoine de Saint-Exupéry: Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (1900–1944) was a French writer and aviator who drew on his own flying adventures. In 1944 his plane vanished over the Mediterranean during a reconnaissance flight, and the wreckage was only found more than half a century later.
  • Arthur Conan Doyle: Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930) was a Scottish physician and writer, the creator of Sherlock Holmes. The brilliant detective was modelled on his university teacher, Dr. Joseph Bell, famous for his razor-sharp powers of observation.
  • George Orwell: George Orwell (1903–1950) was the pen name of Eric Arthur Blair, an English writer who fought in the Spanish Civil War. He coined terms such as "Big Brother" and "Newspeak," and his name gave us the adjective "Orwellian."
  • Jane Austen: Jane Austen (1775–1817) was an English novelist whose books were published anonymously in her lifetime, signed only "By a Lady." She completed just six novels, and today her portrait appears on the British £10 note.
  • Jules Verne: Jules Verne (1828–1905) was a French writer known as the father of science fiction and one of the most translated authors in the world. In his novels he foresaw submarines and space travel long before they existed.
  • Lewis Carroll: Lewis Carroll (1832–1898) was the pen name of Charles Dodgson, an Oxford mathematician and logician. He invented the story of Alice during a boat trip, to entertain a real little girl named Alice Liddell.
  • Louisa May Alcott: Louisa May Alcott (1832–1888) was an American writer who grew up among the Transcendentalists — Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau were family friends. She served as a nurse during the Civil War and, before her fame, published sensational thrillers under the male pen name A. M. Barnard.
  • Lucy Maud Montgomery: Lucy Maud Montgomery (1874–1942) was a Canadian writer from Prince Edward Island who set her novels in the landscapes of her childhood. Thanks to Anne of Green Gables, the island became a place of pilgrimage for readers from around the world.

Translators and editors

Pentecost editors adapt vocabulary and notes so the story stays clear at your level.

  • Angela Borderkeeper: Angela Borderkeeper adapts German-language stories for English readers who are building vocabulary through extensive reading. She balances literal clarity with readable English, especially where German stacks nouns or uses modal particles that do not map neatly. Her side notes focus on collocations learners will meet again in real newspapers and podcasts.
  • Aniela Pogranicznik: Aniela Pogranicznik przygotowuje polskie opracowania tekstów niemieckich w serii dla samouków. Zwraca uwagę na to, by zdania były krótkie tam, gdzie trzeba, ale żeby nie straciły naturalnego szyku — szczególnie w scenach dialogowych. Często wraca do swoich notatek z kursów dla nauczycieli, gdy układa glosariusze i przypisy do trudniejszych zwrotów.
  • Anne Frank: Anne Frank edits English support text for Dutch originals in the series. She is careful with false friends between Dutch and English and flags them early in the glossary. When a joke depends on word order, she looks for an English equivalent that keeps the beat of the scene instead of explaining the punchline away.
  • Catherine Thief: Catherine Thief edits English support layers for Portuguese originals, comparing European and Brazilian variants when the source mixes them. She prefers one clear editorial choice per title rather than hedging in every footnote. She reads aloud to catch phrasing that still sounds like translationese.
  • Christine Guardian: Christine Guardian edits graded-reader adaptations of French fiction for English-speaking adults. She keeps an eye on register—literary French can sound stiff in English if you translate every clause—and prefers footnotes that support the scene rather than pause it. She still reads long-form journalism in French to stay close to how people actually write today.
  • Clara Fieldlove: Clara Fieldlove edits English-language scaffolding around Spanish narratives for the extensive-reading list. She steers clear of over-literal cognates that mislead beginners and prefers short glosses tied to the immediate context. She has a soft spot for dialogue-heavy chapters where rhythm matters as much as vocabulary.
  • Edwina Finbow: Edwina Finbow edits English-facing material for Icelandic fiction in the graded-reader programme. Icelandic inflection and compound formation get one clear gloss at first occurrence, then lighter reminders. She likes crime and family drama where everyday vocabulary does most of the storytelling work.
  • Grace Earthland: Grace Earthland prepares English commentary for Norwegian texts in the graded-reader programme. Norwegian’s compact clauses can read abrupt in English; she smooths the seams while keeping the emotional temperature of the scene. She coordinates closely with whoever writes the chapter exercises so examples match the chapter’s new items.
  • Greta Thunderhill: Greta Thunderhill adapts Swedish fiction for English-speaking learners using the Pentecost graded format. She keeps an eye on compound words that look long but are common in Swedish, and explains them once where they recur. She likes endings where the payoff is emotional rather than lexical—those need the lightest touch in the notes.
  • Inga Clay: Inga Clay prepares English-facing materials for Danish fiction in the graded-reader line. Danish often drops subjects; she makes sure the English scaffolding still feels natural while the original stays visible on the facing page or in the margin notes. She enjoys working on small-town settings where everyday vocabulary carries most of the plot.
  • Katarzyna Złodziej: Katarzyna Złodziej przygotowuje polskie teksty towarzyszące portugalskojęzycznej beletrystyce w serii na różne poziomy CEFR. Bacznie rozróżnia wariant europejski i brazylijski, gdy w oryginale ma to znaczenie. W pracy redakcyjnej woli jedną jasną decyzję niż pięć kompromisów, które rozmywają głos narratora.
  • Klara Polanowicz: Klara Polanowicz tłumaczy i upraszcza hiszpańskojęzyczne narracje dla polskich czytelników w serii lektur gradowanych. Często pracuje nad rejestrem: hiszpański z Ameryki Łacińskiej i z Półwyspu wymaga innych decyzji po polsku. W przypisach stawia na krótkość i kontekst, żeby słownik nie zasłaniał fabuły.
  • Krystyna Strażnik: Krystyna Strażnik od lat zajmuje się przekładem i redakcją tekstów literackich z francuskiego na polski dla dorosłych czytelników. W pracy nad wersjami uproszczonymi pilnuje, by poziom słownictwa zgadzał się z etykietą CEFR, a jednocześnie nie gubił się humor ani rytm dialogów. Prywatnie dużo czyta współczesną prozę francuskojęzyczną i chętnie poleca tytuły, które dobrze brzmią także po polsku.
  • Małgorzata Strzecharz: Małgorzata Strzecharz redaguje polskie wersje uproszczonych lektur do nauki angielskiego — od poziomów początkowych po średniozaawansowane. Łączy doświadczenie szkolne z pracą przy materiałach do czytania ekstensywnego: ważne jest dla niej, żeby bohaterowie nie brzmieli jak sztucznie uproszczone manekiny. Po godzinach i tak sięga po anglojęzyczne kryminały, bo lubi sprawdzać, jak brzmi żywy, współczesny idiom.
  • Margarete Reetdachdeckerin: Margarete Reetdachdeckerin verantwortet die deutsche Bearbeitung begleitender Texte zu englischsprachigen Lektüren der gestuften Reihe. Sie erklärt Phrasal verbs und idiomatische Kurzformen so, dass sie im Kapitel wiedererkennbar werden, ohne dass jede Seite zur Grammatiktafel wird. Sie liest laut, wenn ein Dialog noch nach Übungsbuch klingt.
  • Marie Bender: Marie Bender adapts Polish literary texts for English speakers learning Polish through parallel reading and footnoted editions. She explains case endings and aspect pairs in short, plain English, then lets the Polish carry the voice of the narrator. She reads each chapter twice: once for accuracy, once for pace.
  • Mary Guide: Mary Guide edits English-facing material for Japanese originals in the series. She explains honorifics and sentence-final particles in plain English without turning every line into a lecture. She still listens to casual Japanese podcasts to keep colloquial markers feeling current in the notes.
  • Pauline Bird: Pauline Bird adapts Chinese-language fiction for English readers in the graded-reader line. She helps decide when to gloss a measure word, a place name, or a four-character idiom, and when context can carry the load. She likes contemporary urban settings because they recycle high-frequency vocabulary in natural ways.
  • Rita Mounts: Rita Mounts works on English notes and simplified renderings for Italian fiction in the graded series. She watches out for regional markers—north versus south—that English readers might miss without a light gloss. Her goal is that someone on a commute can follow the plot without stopping every line.
  • Sophie Stay-Maggot: Sophie Stay-Maggot works on English notes for Russian fiction in the graded series. She balances literary archaism with the labelled CEFR level, sometimes marking a form as “recognition only” so readers are not asked to produce it too early. She pays extra attention to names, patronymics, and diminutives that carry social information.
  • Sylvia Marine: Sylvia Marine adapts Finnish fiction for English-speaking readers in the graded-reader series. Finnish cases and consonant gradation get short, reusable glosses instead of a grammar essay on every page. She prefers footnotes that point forward—hinting that a form will return—so readers start to recognise patterns.
  • Theresa White: Theresa White edits English support text for Hebrew originals in the extensive-reading list. She distinguishes modern Israeli usage from biblical echoes when it matters for comprehension, and keeps glosses short enough not to bury the plot. She coordinates Hebrew spelling and vocalisation choices across a whole book so they stay consistent.
  • Мария Гибкая: Мария Гибкая работает с польскими падежными цепочками так, чтобы они подкрепляли сюжет, а не отвлекали от него. В сносках — минимальный парадигматический набор и один-два примера; задания строго на формы, встреченные в тексте. Перед печатью она сверяет падежные подсказки с фактическими формами в тексте, чтобы не осталось «висячих» ссылок на несуществующие окончания.